Pattachitra takes you back to the times when puranic culture and classical romances ruled Puri and much of eastern India. Painted on cloth, the ancient art from Odisha literally means a painting on a cloth canvas.

The patta painting is linked to the 12th century cult of Lord Jagannath; every year when the lord and his siblings fall 'sick', three beautiful patta paintings replace them for a few days. The traditional painters of these works came from the Mahapatra (Maharana) community. Invariably, pilgrims took copies of these paintings home as souvenirs. Eventually, local 'chitrakars' became world-renowned artists.

Catterfly master artist Bhaskar Mohapatra comes from this tradition of chitrakars & works on a variety of themes and mediums. He makes his own colours and canvas in the time-honoured way and has won several awards.  The artist lives in Raghurajpur, a designated heritage crafts village near Puri in Odisha. With traditional artists like Bhaskar ji it is not only about learning the techniques of art, but also about its history, cultural context and the folktales that make the entire experience far richer. 

Bhaskar ji is a national award winning artist and his painting adorn the walls of French Presidential Palace. The Indian Prime Minister gifted his “The Tree of Life” painting to French President in 2016.